Battle of the eyeshadows: Why we love pots over palettes

Duplication? Convenience? Overpriced extravagance? We’re breaking it down for you

It's 2018 and the eyeshadow market is more saturated than ever with an inordinate number of palettes and single pressed shadows from various cult beauty brands. We've already lost count.

With the likes of affordable yet highly versatile eyeshadow palettes from ColourPop, Morphe Cosmetics and Huda Beauty, it's no overstatement to say that makeup junkies have been tingling in joy with a fuller (yet more impractical) range of colours and textures squeezed into their gargantuan vanity.

Simplicity is keyGodzilla-sized palettes with quadrillions of eyeshadows might be a stimulus overload for some who aren't up for anything besides the minimalistic aesthetic. While the idea of blockbuster palettes spells unrestricted fun, it all narrows down to practicality for an everyday routine — especially if you are in an eye makeup rut.

Instead of ransacking through countless thematic eyeshadow palettes, settling with a pot shadow that carries a multidimensional yet functional finish is undeniably the fuss-free option. Here are our favourites:

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Avoid the duplicationWhile short-term excitement at highly anticipated shadow releases can seamlessly override logical thinking, we might need to keep our self-control in check so as to break free from our guilty pleasures.

Palettes are universally designed as a template for a full eye makeup look — with a good range from light, all-over-base and transition hues, to mid-tone, cool, warm or deeper shades. We'd reckon that this is the reason to owning at least three similar shades of brown in your collection. When the shopaholic makeup junkie trigger goes off the next time, you might want to reconsider the unsatisfactory feeling of not hitting pan... ever.

Don't stifle creativityAlthough pre-made palettes have coordinated tones that make eyeshadow application as easy as 1-2-3, we don't want to be saddled with a fixed range of colours that restricts our creativity.

For the makeup experimentalists, opting for single pot shadows makes room for versatile, unconventional and ingenious signature looks that you can call your own — albeit some necessary trial and error. We say that makeup is never boring when you're the painter behind the masterpiece.